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Alcubierre-Upton Warp Probability Drive
Definition The Alcubierre-Upton Spacetime Warp Probability Drive '''(marketed as '''IMPETUS, commonly referred to as Upton Drive, Warp Drive, Prob Drive '''or '''Impetus Drive, officially abbreviated as SLD '''for Superluminal Drive')' 'is a method of faster-than-light propulsion whereby space in front of and behind the subjected craft is bent (warped) to facilitate speeds exceeding that of light without violating the known laws of physics. While conceptualized by Miguel Alcubierre in 1994, it was only made practical in 2443 by Plutonian inventor and entrepreneur Dorian Fenrir Upton. Upton also postulated and proved the real world limitations of his drive caused by the principle of Frame Shift Uncertainty, making it practically useless for traversing distances greater than 1.5 AU. This limitation was later overcome by Upton and the drive has since found widespread use for intrasystemic travel sunward or travel between suns in the Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri systems. Invention, Development and Problems Upton devised the drive in 2443 after his successfully tested Casimir generator produced sufficient amounts of negative energy to feasibly facilitate an alcubierre-style propulsion system. First short-distance tests on scaled-down versions of popular spacecraft at the time failed spectacularly as he underestimated the necessary size and lensing specifications of the flat space warp bubble which contained the vessel. In these early tests, ships would immediately disintegrate upon activation of the drive, being ripped apart by the immense tidal forces present at the transition gradient of the warp bubble. Sharpening of the gradient and a simple increase of negative energy flow to create a larger flat-space volume would solve this problem quickly. During the first manned tests of the device, another problem arose quickly as ships exited superluminal travel several million kilometers from the predicted destination. Upton who notoriously insisted on working alone, explained the issue as an effect of the immense speeds one reaches with his drive. As matter approached the speed of light, properties usually reserved for quantum-mechanical particles would begin to apply to macroscopic objects, specifically the warp bubble itself and everything it contains. Since the only possible observer of a superluminal flat-space bubble is the inhabitant(s) of that bubble, the observer is at all times aware of the bubble's momentum. In a process Upton named the Reference Frame Shift Paradox, the position of the spacetime-bubble becomes quantum-mechanically uncertain, resulting in a circular potential gradient whose radius is dependent on the speed of the bubble and projected linear distance traveled. It roughly follows this formula: Once the SLD is deactivated, the vessel will appear in real space somewhere within that probability plane. Later Upton revised this theory, realizing that certain factors would cause the probability space to collapse to manageable sizes when certain boundaries are paid heed to. The most notable of these factors is the proximity to a strong gravity well as gravity makes a position closer to e.g. a star more probable. A set of risk factor equations allowed the reliable use of the drive when operated by Upton himself. Later, he trained a select few engineers in what he called "a fine art". Esoteric Nature To this day, only 43 people across both systems have been trained to successfully operate an Upton drive. Due to the immense amount of data which a superluminal pilot has to take in, understand and react to within relatively small time spans and the overwhelming complexity of the device and its integration with the vessel, the operational training takes years. It requires a very acute understanding of advanced quantum mechanics and a flawless relativistic intuition. The perfect individual for this training is an established specialized physicist, seasoned engineer and proficient pilot at the same time. The skill combines academic prowess, practical perfection and navigational intuition far beyond those any ordinary expert in any of these disciplines will have. Upton has described trying to find suitable candidates and teaching them this skill as a truly herculean task. Opposing voices have remarked that Upton himself has never piloted a craft before inventing his drive. They claim that he is largely exaggerating the difficulty of teaching this skill. According to Jeremy Dunslow, who has worked with Upton in the past, the lack of trained pilots is not due to a scarcity of suitable candidates but rather due to a lack of trying. "DFU is a notorious hermit. He hates working with people, especially people who don't immediately understand his inventions. My guess is that he just doesn't want to subject himself to situations that offend his sensibilities, like trying to teach a total newbie how to use ''his device." he said during an interview on the matter.